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Was Gen. Mattis right to speak out about Trump's leadership?

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President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 15, 2017, during an event on Apprenticeship and Workforce of Tomorrow initiatives. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) more >

President Trump said Thursday that he hoped the shock and horror over the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who remained in critical condition at a Washington hospital, would bring unity to the painfully divided country.

Since the gunman targeted Republican lawmakers practicing for a charity baseball game Wednesday morning, wounding four people, calls for more civility and unity have come from both sides of the aisle in Congress.

“Steven in his own way may have brought some unity to our long-divided country. We’ve had a very divided country for many years,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House.

“He’s in some trouble,” the president said. “He’s going to be OK, we hope.”

At the hospital, Mr. Trump said he also visited Crystal Griner, a Capitol Police officer assigned to protect Mr. Scalise. She was wounded in a shootout with the gunman. The gunman later died of his wounds.